Certification: A Crucial Action Step

You may be asking, “What makes certification worth the time and investment?” Here are a few simple answers to that question:

A credentialed coach demonstrates not only knowledge and skill, but also a commitment to high professional standards and a strong code of ethics. A credential adds credibility to you as a coaching professional.

Your professional coach certification is an important step in personal and professional development. Being a certified coach means that you have invested significant time and effort into ensuring that you adhere to commonly accepted standards for the coaching profession. You are not simply “hanging out a shingle” and calling yourself a coach. You are a professional and have undergone rigorous training and practice in the art and science of coaching.

Your certification is additional assurance for your clients that you are a trained coach, and you have met the requirements to earn an endorsement from a credible training organization. Certification says that you are serious about your profession, and that your clients can expect an excellent experience with you.

Your certification strongly supports the coaching profession and you are contributing to its standardization and stability. Certification shows that you value connection and accountability, and that you are willing to submit yourself to the scrutiny of a self-regulating profession. For onlookers (those who are either interested or critical), the more coaches who become certified, the more our profession is taken seriously.

The Center for Coaching Excellence (CCE) encourages all of its trainees to pursue ICF certification. Founded in 1995, the International Coach Federation (ICF) is one of the leading global organizations dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches. With more than 20,000 members, ICF’s goal is to maintain a solid direction, presence and professional voice for coaches.

If you’ve been thinking about certification, have questions, or are ready to take the next step, click here to review ICF certification information or request a free consultation with Mary Verstraete.

CCE is in preparation to become a fully ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) in 2015 with 130 hours of coach-specific training.

Mary is president and cofounder of the Center for Coaching Excellencewhere she writes, trains, and consults on effective and masterful leadership conversations.